Sugar-free, Sweet and Satisfying Banana Custard

A brûlée crust does take this dish out of the sugar-free category. It tastes wonderful without the crust. It just doesn’t look very beautiful.

We are the consummate rescuers of nearly wasted bananas. Over this past year, we’ve collected aged very brown bananas from various places and have been enjoying them in a variety of recipes. Our favorite, as of late, is a custard made out of the overripe bananas.  It’s fantastically easy. It tastes wonderful. We’ve been regularly stocking our fridge with a batch and have guilt-free snacks for dessert on demand.

Since it’s made from overripe bananas, it has the not so lovely color of said fruit. The first batch we made, we served it with vanilla ice cream to mask the custard. On the next batch, I drizzled a chocolate ganache to pretty it up. Then I tried a brûlée top. If you are having a fancy dinner party, any of these options beautify the custard. But honestly, none of that is necessary. It tastes great just as it is. And, of course, it’s healthier au natural.

Banana Custard Au Natural

Ingredients

  • 4 overripe bananas
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 tbsp coconut milk powder
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, optional

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Put all ingredients in a bowl.
  3. Use a stick blender to blend until smooth.
  4. Pour custard into 4 ramekins.
  5. Put ramekins in a glass baking dish.
  6. Fill baking dish with hot water. Water should surround ramekins as best you can (without spilling, of course)
  7. Bake for 45 minutes.
  8. Remove ramekins from water bath and allow to cool a bit before serving. Serve warm. Or store in refrigerator and eat chilled.

The Joy of Almonds and Coconut

Coconut almond chocolate bar n

No oven needed to make these tasty treats. We made them in the freezer… and ate them frosty cold!

I’ve been experimenting with coconut oil and came across a recipe at detoxinista.com for a “candy bar” using coconut oil and some other favorite ingredients I had on hand. If you are looking for a gluten free, vegan sweet, this is a terrific recipe. For a second version, I chopped up some maraschino cherries I had on hand and added another layer atop the coconut for added flavor and visual pizzaz. This is an easy and versatile recipe.

No Bake Almond Coconut Sweet Bars

Ingredients

Bottom layer:

  • 1 cup pulverized raw almonds (I used the nut chopper attachment for my stick blender)
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • pinch salt

Middle layer:

  • 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp water

Top layer:

  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions

  1. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
  2. Mix bottom layer ingredients together until well incorporated.
  3. Spread bottom layer mixture evenly on base of loaf pan.
  4. Mix middle layer ingredients together until well incorporated.
  5. Spread middle layer mixture evenly atop bottom layer.
  6. Mix top layer ingredients together until well incorporated.
  7. Pour top layer mixture over middle layer and spread to evenly cover.
  8. Place in freezer to set, about an hour.
  9. When set, pull bars out with parchment paper and place on cutting board. Cut into pieces.
  10. Serve immediately.
  11. Store in air tight container in freezer.